Bella POV
"We're here". Klaus informed me, as the car stopped. We had come quite a long way from where we had been staying. I exited the car as my door was held open by the valet and followed Klaus inside and as he went to confirm our reservations I contemplated the circumstances under which we had arrived in this beautiful city. The restaurant was ostentatious very much according to Klaus' tastes from what I had seen in my time with him. From the high ceilings to the floor to ceiling window giving a view of the swimming pool, this would be the last place I would choose on my own accord.
"Bella?" I was pulled out of my thoughts by Klaus' voice. I looked at him to see that he was beckoning me towards our table and I followed him. Once we were both comfortably seated, I looked upwards to be met with his gaze. I was at a complete loss of words as I was captured by his intense gaze, so I blurted out the first coherent thought which entered my mind which just happened to be a pointless and vain question.
"Which is your favorite book?" He looked positively taken aback by my unexpected question, yet answered it.
"Dracula". I almost erupted into a fit of giggles but composed myself as everyone would have stared, but could not stop the smile which was now etched on my face.
"Are you being serious?" I ask as he looked a bit hurt and offended at my free display of ridicule of his choice.
"Why is it such a surprise that I like Dracula?"
"I think it's the irony of it, but mostly just imagining a vampire reading Dracula". Was my instantaneous reply. He shook his head before proceeding to ask me which my favorite book was.
"Wuthering Heights".
"Why am I not surprised?" I shrugged at that. "So, do you have any particular reason for this interrogation?"
"Yes, I realized we know practically nothing about each other and since we're staying together for who knows how long, I thought we might get to know each other over this fancy dinner". The last part was a bit mocking and although I prayed he didn't, he picked up on it.
"Don't you like fancy dinners?" he asked, his eyebrows were pulled together in confusion.
"Not particularly. I just think that we have to pretend a lot and it immediately stands out if even one thing isn't proper."
"Pretend what?"
"I don't know. I mean you can't….be yourself, in a way I guess. That does not make any sense, I know".
"Yes, it does make sense. But see Bella, that's the thing about me, I never have to pretend anything; I don't care of what they think of me, and whatever they do think of me, it's not like they can hurt me, or you, for that matter". Our conversation was interrupted by the waiter coming to take our orders, and after taking them, once again, left us alone and in inevitable silence, till I decided to break it.
"So, why do you like everything to be so fancy?"
"I like to think of it as something I picked up along my years in the world. Communication is very important for me too, and at that time, with Mikeal chasing me, it was even more important, the right contacts give you the right information and for that, you have to be social".
"I guess you're right. So, favorite artist?"
"Painter or sculptor or musician? Because they can all be considered as artists."
"All three". I answered after little contemplation.
"Well, it would Michelangelo for the first two and musician; I don't know there are too many to choose from, what about you?"
"Well I'm not sure about the first two, but my favorite musician is probably Debussy".
"You know Debussy?"
"Why is it such a surprise that I like Debussy or rather know him?" I repeated his words from earlier.
"How were you introduced to Debussy?"
"My mom heard him a lot".
"That makes sense. How have you not been introduced to, oh I don't know, Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley?"
"My mom isn't a fan of rock, and neither am I".
"What a shame, I happen to like rock music".
"I'm not surprised". It was then that the waiter arrived with our food and we both immediately dug in. I could not contain the moan that slipped past my lips after taking the first bit.
"I take it you like your dinner". I just nod at him, my pale cheeks coloring at the very thought that he heard my moan and the rest of the dinner was passed in comfortable silence but for the music that started playing soon. It turned out; there was an orchestra which had started playing just playing just a few moments of after arrival, but had gone unnoticed and unappreciated as it blended in the background of our talk.
When we were finished feasting on our scrumptious meal, we debated on ordering desert, but ended up ordering it either way. It wasn't much, just a small chocolate cake, which was almost as good as the actual dinner.
"Do you want to leave?" He asked after he had paid the bill.
"What else can we do?"
"Well, we could go for a walk or we could even go for a drive".
"Not a walk in these heels, I shouldn't have even worn these, but maybe a drive across the bridges." I replied as we got out, and almost immediately the car was driven towards us. We got inside in silence while I contemplated what a drive could possibly mean for us, and my heart rate picked up and I knew Klaus would be able to hear it.
"So, a long drive?"
"Okay". I said although my heart was still hammering inside my chest at the thought of being alone with him in a confined space. Yes, I was alone with him at home but it was a huge place and I had been alone with him at the restaurant, but there were other people. Here I was truly alone with him.
I looked outside my window to an angelic view of the city and decided to fill the silence in the car. It wasn't that it was not comfortable, there was just something in it that made me want to pull Klaus to me and devour his lips with mine.
"When was the last time you had been here?"
"I had been here during the sixteen hundreds, I'm not sure exactly which year but I did stay here for around ten to twenty years".
"Oh. Was it better then?" But before he could answer, I elaborated my question "was the world better then? You know; the people, the culture, the nature?"
"Yes and no. Yes, the nature was better, but I wouldn't say the same about the people, there were a lot of divisions and injustice, not that I minded, I was at the top, still am". I shook my head at him.
"But couldn't you be more considerate?"
"At that time, I was too egoistical to think of anyone but myself, of course it would've been different for you".
"Different for me? Don't you think I would've been driven by my thirst if I had been a vampire?" I always thought that Edward felt it; according to him if I ever became a vampire I wouldn't have been able to control my thirst. Of course, I don't say that out loud to Klaus.
"No, when you become a vampire all your feelings are magnified. You would've been like Elijah, considerate for human life unlike me".
"Klaus, whatever you did was because of you nature, and while it isn't an excuse, it's understandable, at some parts. Others are just rampages, which could've been controlled but are done with now". He nodded and stopped the car near the river. "Why are we stopping?"
"A small surprise". I got out of the car and walked with him to whatever surprise it was.
"Why this surprise suddenly?"
"I have cooped you up in a house for the past two weeks, think of this as a compensation for that".
I was just about to reply when I saw what the surprise was, it was a gondola.
"Right now?"
"Yes, do you not want to?"
"It's late, but sure, it's a gondola". We both got on, me with a little help from Klaus; there was a man at one end and as soon as we got in, he started rowing. It was absolutely lovely, the cold air hitting us, and the lights on the bridges looking beautiful from below here.
I hesitatingly slid my hand into his, and, at my touch he turned to look at me and keeping his eyes on mine, he interlaced our fingers. I could feel my heart beating in my chest and I'm sure he could hear it.
"Bella, look up". I did, looking at him but saw that he was pointing towards the sky, and acquiesced his instruction, gasping at the sight which I was met with. "A blue moon, it's very rare and breathtakingly beautiful, not unlike the woman sitting with me right now". I looked down from the moon to his eyes, I didn't know if I could do it, but he was already leaning towards me and I threw all my inhibitions into the air, and leaned in towards him.
My heart was beating uncontrollably and our noses almost touching. Slowly, almost tenderly he placed his lips on mine and I responded the best I could with our hands still in each others'. We were only broken apart by the ringing of his phone and we both recoiled as he answered his phone.
I touched my lips and could still feel his on mine, the feeling that I felt when they touched mine and I looked up at the blue moon and couldn't help but smile, feeling like a giddy teenager; this is probably what they mean by getting high, the feeling that you're invincible and you can do just about anything.
"Bella?" I loved it when he said my name, it just sounded so...different and kind of sexy.
"Yes?"
"Do you want to go back?" He asked looking slightly disappointed. I shook my head, and proceeded to ask him who had called.
"Elijah" he answered before continuing "he said that they are safe and asked if we were okay, as we are much closer to Volterra than them". I nodded at him but the next question he asked me threw me completely off guard and made me really contemplate if he knew me.
"Do you want to go skinny dipping?" I was actually flabbergasted before I even considered it.
"Are you mad?"
"Why do I have to be mad to suggest going skinny dipping?"
"Someone could see us".
"Who? Unless you haven't noticed, we are completely alone here". He did have a point there, the river was completely empty but for us.
"What about him?" I asked quietly, pointing towards the man.
"He is compelled and will leave us back to the car and not come back".
"We don't have any towels or other clothes". I had realized by now that I was fighting a losing battle.
"Actually we do, it's in the bonnet of the car".
"I…we could get arrested".
"I can compel them not to".
"I'm not getting naked in front of you". The last comment was blurted out and I saw Klaus raising his eyebrows at how paradoxical I was being.
"There's a swimsuit too".
"Well, in that case.."
A/N
So should she say yes or no? The blue moon is absolutely beautiful, unfortunately the next time it's going to be seen will be in 2016. The picture of the blue moon is the picture for the story, I will change it later to the original picture.
Anyway, let me know if you liked the chapter or not. I really hope you liked the kiss between Klaus and Bella, I had fun writing it. Please review and let me know what you thought of the entire chapter, it's longer than usual.
Also, if you like reading books, which I think at least some of you do since you're reading a story, you should read Great Expectations, I just finished reading it and at first it might seem like there's no point in reading it, but the end really makes it worth it.